tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post5610309314414309669..comments2024-01-02T09:45:52.570-05:00Comments on Lost in Transcription Has Moved!!: Should YOU Go to Grad School? A GuideAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04284995441818864226noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-30693836122816294432012-11-30T13:31:44.380-05:002012-11-30T13:31:44.380-05:00I think you're absolutely right. In an ideal w...I think you're absolutely right. In an ideal world, once you proved yourself as a researcher, you would be eligible for senior academic positions. However, in this world, the PhD (or equivalent) has effectively become an absolute prerequisite for certain positions. So yes, if you have aspirations towards a senior position in an academic setting, grad school is a must. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284995441818864226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-9840581401816995442012-11-30T13:27:00.969-05:002012-11-30T13:27:00.969-05:00Having switched mid-career from biochemistry to bi...Having switched mid-career from biochemistry to bioinformatics, I'd like to give one more reason for getting a Ph.D. - avoiding the paper ceiling. I see this particularly in my colleagues who entered bioinformatics from the computer science side where a Ph.D. is rare. They do very well in their career and reach a point where it makes sense for them to lead a group, but in an academic environment, that is often impossible without a Ph.D. At that point, they have mortgages and children and going back to grad school is not a realistic option. Note that this is not primarily a financial issue, software engineers are typically well paid, it is a career advancement and satisfaction issue. If I were dictator of the universe, I would change the academic culture to remove this paper ceiling, but I am not and it looks to me like it will be with us for a good while. Also note that a Ph.D. in almost anything, specifically including computer science, will do even in a Medical school. The academic infrastructure simply needs a plausible reason to give you a faculty appointment.Zombie Cyclisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17872180084900859905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-31381729912300401462012-11-19T17:22:39.642-05:002012-11-19T17:22:39.642-05:00Excellent. We strive to provide peace of mind.Excellent. We strive to provide peace of mind.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284995441818864226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-5961989301091184542012-11-19T17:16:21.079-05:002012-11-19T17:16:21.079-05:00One by one, even my more underachieving peers are ...One by one, even my more underachieving peers are going off to grad school. It kinda makes me panic (much the same way one might when one's friends are all getting married or growing mustaches or something). This handy reference is reassuring me that I am doing just fine as I am.Andy teh Nerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12028450113408104244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-81132115037436874322012-11-18T22:12:08.345-05:002012-11-18T22:12:08.345-05:00Thanks!Thanks!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284995441818864226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-78271253273494983632012-11-18T22:11:56.153-05:002012-11-18T22:11:56.153-05:00Interesting question. Definitely true in the place...Interesting question. Definitely true in the places I've lived and the circles I've run in as well. I don't know how broad that respect is, but it would certainly be a motivation for anyone coming from those environments.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284995441818864226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-28017420814023025592012-11-18T22:10:15.418-05:002012-11-18T22:10:15.418-05:00That's a good one. There's probably a good...That's a good one. There's probably a good article in that, or maybe even a whole sociology dissertation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284995441818864226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-39028656024997761692012-11-18T22:09:08.008-05:002012-11-18T22:09:08.008-05:00Thanks! Coming soon.Thanks! Coming soon.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284995441818864226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-56843071250126430642012-11-18T22:08:49.372-05:002012-11-18T22:08:49.372-05:00That's a good point. I should probably have em...That's a good point. I should probably have emphasized that this is really geared towards graduate school in the US.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284995441818864226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-62617938164156547842012-11-18T13:31:50.839-05:002012-11-18T13:31:50.839-05:00TOTALLY AGREE!!!! (about the LA kids who go into a...TOTALLY AGREE!!!! (about the LA kids who go into anything but science.)<br />Very funny!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-92204000388485824202012-11-18T11:09:16.381-05:002012-11-18T11:09:16.381-05:00You've nailed the monetary issues and the inte...You've nailed the monetary issues and the intellectual motivations. Another consideration, perhaps, is vanity. In most of the areas I've lived, Ph.D. holders are according a great deal of respect, even more so University Faculty. Perhaps the appeal to vanity is a motivation? I've seen it push a few undergraduates into Ph.D. programs, with mixed results. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-1369440437338320052012-11-18T11:03:36.265-05:002012-11-18T11:03:36.265-05:00Nice, Jon!
The following quote is a very good poi...Nice, Jon!<br /><br />The following quote is a very good point, having witnessed several frantic interventions of this type:<br /><br />"There is a lot of myopia in grad-school culture, and a lot of echo-chamber nonsense. People tend to get tunnel vision, and buy into the idea that there is one true, golden path for success. If you start to stray off of that path (like by thinking about leaving with a masters), everyone will try to discourage you: your advisor, senior grad students and postdocs. They might even stage an intervention."<br /><br />To a lesser degree this notion could also apply to all the unfortunate kids from Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Livermore that decide to dance, write, paint, design, or generally pursue something other than Ph.D. science. Perhaps consideration 7 could be framed around the question, "Both my parents, all my neighbors, and the majority of my high school teachers have Ph.D.s. What does this mean about my ambition to become a furniture upholsterer?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-46067142734315016612012-11-18T08:31:49.099-05:002012-11-18T08:31:49.099-05:00Good post! It doesn't exactly apply to grad sc...Good post! It doesn't exactly apply to grad school in france, but gives a fair insight enough.<br />Loved this : "Just remind yourself that Stockholm is not only the place where they give out the Nobel prizes, it is also the name of a syndrome."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180769075610486242.post-43641388909123251392012-11-18T02:26:46.658-05:002012-11-18T02:26:46.658-05:00Looking forward to the next post on how to choose ...Looking forward to the next post on how to choose a grad school! Thanks for the helpful (and funny) post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com